The Selling Point Page 5

  When Darby finally remembered a nerdy little thing named Jennifer Crosby, she sat taller. Jennifer had been an outcast like Darby, but not quite as far on the outside looking in. Jennifer had friends, one or two at least, but Darby wouldn’t have counted herself as one of them. Jennifer had been a band nerd, a science geek, and socially awkward.

  Which meant despite her level of geekiness, she had still been higher on the social ladder than Darby. Not that being more socially accepted than Darby Zamora was some kind of feat back then.

  “Oh my gosh,” Jennifer continued. “I can’t believe we haven’t spoken since high school.”

  Darby could. She’d cut ties with everyone she’d gone to school with the day she’d graduated. She hadn’t looked back, and that had been intentional. She hadn’t seen or heard from Jennifer since that day, and she wasn’t certain why she was now. They certainly had no common thread holding them together, and Darby certainly wasn’t expecting a personal invite to any kind of reunion.

  Last summer, Jade had invited some of her old classmates to the cove. Darby had enjoyed helping her plan and play hostess as they caught up. She had felt a twinge of jealousy as they’d laughed and shared old stories. Not because Jade had other friends, but because Darby knew she’d never experience anything like that. She didn’t have funny tales to tell or old friends to share them with. Not that she suspected that was the reason for Jennifer’s call.

  “Yeah,” Darby said. “It’s been a long time. What’s new?”

  “In case you don’t know this, I’m a totally successful influencer now,” Jennifer said, going on to explain that she had a podcast with a huge audience, and it just kept growing. The forced energy oozing from her words was enough to made Darby close her eyes to resist the urge to hang up. She wasn’t friends with this person. They’d never been friends. Why the hell did she care about Jennifer’s podcast?

  Darby shoved those bad feelings away and focused on Jennifer touting her online success. She had a video channel with over a hundred thousand subscribers. Her podcasts varied from vacation spots to new restaurants and even fashion fads. She covered all the up-and-coming people, places, and things. She simply couldn’t believe how her little website had turned into something so amazing.

  Darby couldn’t believe that the Jennifer she remembered from high school had turned into an influencer. Then again, Darby was nothing like the old version of herself either. Time and experiences changed people, so she shook the image of the old Jennifer from her mind and built a new one.

  “Nice” was the only word Darby managed to push out, from fear she’d reveal the bitterness she felt. Not that she wished anything bad for Jennifer, but she didn’t need her nose rubbed in someone else’s success right now.

  “So I couldn’t help but wonder,” Jennifer continued, drawing out the words and reminding Darby of one of those life coaches hyped up on caffeine; not only was she far too chipper, but no sane person sounded that excited, “if you’re the same Darby Zamora who owns The Un-Do Wedding Boutique, that awesome new online shop.”

  “Yes. That’s my store.”

  “Great!” Jennifer’s enthusiasm was obviously forced. Nobody could be that excited to find out Darby owned a virtual store, no matter what she was selling. “I thought that was you when I watched The Noah Joplin Show, but you’ve…changed.” She said the last word like she wasn’t sure if she was giving a compliment or not. Darby considered pointing out that Jennifer had obviously changed as well, but then Jennifer picked up her speech in that far too happy tone again. “I’d love to talk to you about your shop for my show. I live in Fairfax now, but I can be in Chammont Point in about an hour. Where can we meet?”

  Not are you interested or do you want to. Just Where can we meet?

  Darby was offended by the pushiness, but she bit back the snarky words threatening to spill from her. This was why she’d wanted to be alone. Because she knew she’d say something mean, and then she’d have to find a way to make up for her bad behavior.

  The self-deprecating cycle was one she’d been trapped in for years. Irritation grew low in her gut as the old and new parts of herself battled over how to respond. She should say no. Tell Jennifer thanks for the opportunity, but she’d pass. But then she felt bad because Jennifer had taken the time to find her and call. She’d invited Darby to her show, and turning her down would be rude.

  Darby closed her eyes and silently cursed herself. She’d never been able to stand up for herself or tell someone no without feeling bad for doing so. That was what had led her to being the perfect target for the crap she’d had to deal with for four long years at Chammont Point High.

  All the times she failed to stand up for herself came rushing back like one of those flashy old-time movies where the scenes were chopped together and running into one another in a way that didn’t make sense. Something strange washed over her in that moment. She narrowed her eyes as she cursed her past self for being so damn weak and scared all the time. She again chastised her past self for being the victim of circumstance instead of trying to find a way to overcome.

  “Darby?” Silence hung on the phone for a few seconds. “People all over the Internet are talking about your shop,” Jennifer said, sounding a little less confident. “Your approach is so unique. You’re hilarious.”

  Darby didn’t respond as she tried to process the feelings brewing inside her.

  “I am so totally impressed by your success,” Jennifer continued. “I really want to share it with my viewers. Imagine how much traffic your site will get after I tell them about it. They’re going to go crazy for your wedding boutique.”

  Darby didn’t need anyone to go crazy for her wedding boutique. Her wedding boutique was making her crazy with all the messages she was getting. Even though the positive feedback still outweighed the negative, the sardonic comments were overwhelming.

  Had she known that some people would take her sales descriptions so personally, she would have clarified on Noah’s show that they were funny little snippets meant to gain interest. She’d never meant for anyone to take the stories as mean-spirited or as her mocking the brides. She would have explained…

  Darby sat a bit taller as serendipity slapped her across the face with a gigantic wake-up call screaming, Hello! She had missed that opportunity on Noah’s show, but she was being handed the opportunity to change that. With Jennifer’s podcast. Jennifer didn’t have nearly the following that Noah did, but she still had a larger platform than Darby. And she was inviting Darby to talk about the site…giving her the chance to tell people to calm the hell down.

  “If I highlight your virtual shop on my site,” Jennifer continued, “over a hundred thousand people are going to know about it. That could really help your sales. However, if you aren’t up for it—”

  “No,” Darby said, cutting her off. This was her chance to set things right. She was taking it. Her depression and resentment over Jennifer’s call fizzled out, and a renewed purpose filled her. This was her chance to make things right. She was taking it! “I’m up for doing your interview. Come to my house as soon as you get to town.” Darby rambled off her address and a thank-you to Jennifer for reaching out.

  When she hung up, she glanced at Jade’s cabin, debating if she should ask for some of her friend’s marketing expertise this time. Instead, she rushed back to her cabin and did a quick cleanup. She’d invited Jennifer to her home. She couldn’t have empty glasses and wadded-up tissues sitting around. Darby wasn’t a slob by any means, but the last twelve hours had been rough on her, and she’d let things pile up.

  Within half an hour, her little cabin was spotless, and she was digging through her closet for the perfect outfit. She chose her favorite halter dress—a bright red that matched her hair—and a pair of killer black heels. She finished the ensemble with a chunky black necklace and matching earrings. As she styled her hair into victory rolls and a low bun, she kept one eye on the clock, making certain to leave herself enough time for her makeup.


  By the time Jennifer showed up at her door, Darby looked like she was ready to strut down the catwalk. She smiled a big fake smile and invited Jennifer into her cabin. Though the living room was small, the bright colors and open blinds made the cheerful space seem larger. Jennifer lifted her brows as she took in the living room. Darby was used to people doing a double take when they first saw her colorful home.

  Yellows, blues, and reds were her chosen colors, which made for a cheerful space, but one that some people found to be too much. Darby didn’t. She thought it was perfect. The colors were uplifting and bold. Taylor had once told her that her home looked like it’d been decorated out of children’s building blocks. Darby liked that comparison. She hadn’t taken offense. She thought that was fitting, actually. She liked the happy feeling the vivid colors created.

  But she knew that style wasn’t for everyone, and looking at Jennifer’s white capris and baby pink blouse all but confirmed she was one of those people. She probably would have loved Jade’s cool and subtle style much more than what she was faced with walking into Darby’s cabin.

  “This is…unique,” Jennifer said, looking around. “Not quite what I was expecting.”

  Darby grinned. “I’m not the little mousy girl you remember from all those years ago.”

  Jennifer’s smile softened. “Neither am I. It’s good to be grown up, isn’t it?”

  Darby sighed as she let some of her defenses slip. She’d been in a shit mood all day. It was time to let go of the clouds she’d allowed to form over her head. She needed to shake it off and take the steps she needed to move forward. She had invited Jennifer here to help clear the air, and she couldn’t do that if she let her grumpy mood continue.

  Smile, she told herself. Really smile.

  Taking a breath, she let it out slowly and forced away some of the gloomy aura that had been hovering around her all morning. “Yes. It is.”

  Moving farther into Darby’s cabin, Jennifer gestured toward a cloth mannequin in the corner. The curvy bust was on a pole that was steady enough for Darby to pin dresses as she worked on them. Most of the clothes she designed were in larger sizes because thin women found vintage-styled clothing in stores much easier than women like Darby, who had curves. She made the occasional single-digit-sized outfit, but most of her clients wore larger clothing, hence the larger-sized mannequin.

  “Darby, can you sit so the mannequin is over your shoulder?” Jennifer asked, though it sounded more like direction. Since she was the one with the successful podcast, Darby didn’t think she should argue about where she sat, though the light was better by the window.

  “Oh, sure.” Darby moved a yellow straight-backed chair to the desired location and then perched on the edge of the seat, tall and proper. “How’s this?”

  “Perfect,” Jennifer said with a smile.

  She took a few minutes to set up her camera and portable light on a tripod—which made Darby feel better. She didn’t want shadows falling across her face. She needed to be bright and perky on the video when she nicely told people to simmer down.

  Several minutes later, Jennifer finished fussing and sat on the couch. “Are you ready to start?” she asked.

  Darby filled her lungs, straightened her spine, smiled brightly, and then nodded.

  “Tell me,” Jennifer said, jumping right in, “how did The Un-Do Wedding Boutique come to be?”

  “Well…” With a smile plastered on her face, Darby explained her catering business and how trying to get it off the ground had become overwhelming. She explained how her best friend suggested she sell things she’d already created until she decided what to do next. She even explained how she’d made the dresses for brides but had kept the dresses rather than charging them for weddings that weren’t going to happen.

  Then she slipped in how she had decided on the sales tactics. “I’m trying to recoup the money I’d invested in the time and materials for these dresses,” Darby explained, getting the part where she was going to soothe all the naysayers and let them know she meant no harm. “The little stories I tell online are a sales tactic. They’re there to get attention.”

  A flicker of something lit in Jennifer’s eyes but faded away before Darby could identify it. “So they aren’t true?” Jennifer asked.

  “Well…they’re true, but…” Darby stumbled over her words. She hadn’t expected to be challenged, or she would have had a response on hand. “They’re not… I mean…” Shit. Maybe she should have consulted with Jade first. Jade could have helped her put the words together so they came out faster. Smoother. More genuine.

  She glanced in the general direction of Jade’s house, but it was too late to call for backup now. Returning her focus to Jennifer, Darby smiled. “I don’t tell anyone who those things happened to. My former clients’ names are never revealed.”

  “So,” Jennifer said, “because you keep the real names anonymous, you think it’s okay to share their stories?”

  Darby sat back a bit and blinked long and slow to process whether that had been a real question or a subtle attack. “They’re just stories.”

  Jennifer leaned close, and the sparkle in her eye returned, reminding Darby of a vampire in a movie closing in on its prey. She beamed in a way that made Darby feel like Jennifer was setting a trap. “Tell me, how does it feel to capitalize on someone’s broken dreams?”

  Darby hadn’t been expecting the sudden turn. “Excuse me?”

  “That is what you’re doing,” Jennifer pressed. “Don’t you think?”

  “No,” Darby stated. “I didn’t cancel the weddings.”

  “But your business is called The Un-Do Wedding Boutique. Your tagline is ‘Her bad luck is your great deal.’ Don’t you think that’s a little…insensitive?”

  Darby froze. Insensitive? No. Maybe. No. “It’s… It might be a little…tacky,” Darby said.

  “A little?”

  Sitting taller, Darby jutted her chin out ever so defiantly. The pissy mood that had plagued her all morning returned threefold, and thunder rumbled through her brain. “It’s bridal consignment. I’m selling things that people no longer need. I’m not breaking up weddings. Let me remind you,” she stated, “I didn’t even charge the brides for the work on those dresses. That’s why I’m selling them. To finally get paid for my time and effort.”

  Jennifer’s pensive look faded and her smile returned. “Well, you’ve certainly been successful…getting paid.”

  Not nearly as confident as she’d been a few seconds prior but equally as angry, Darby nodded. “Yes, I have. I made those dresses. I deserved to get paid for my work, even if the weddings were cancelled. I did the brides favors by not charging them. Selling the dresses now is simply my way of getting compensated on the work and materials.”

  “Of course,” Jennifer said with a sickeningly sweet voice. “I’m not trying to upset you.”

  “I’m not upset,” Darby said, though she was more than upset—she was offended. “I don’t like what you seem to be implying.”

  “And what is that?”

  “That I’m peddling in heartbreak and enjoying it.”

  “Oh, no, that’s not what I’m implying at all.”

  Darby didn’t believe her. Her instincts were sending up warning flares that she could no longer ignore. This had been a terrible idea. Unlike when she was sitting in Noah’s studio, enthralled with his brilliant smile, Darby was getting an icky feeling off Jennifer. Something about this wasn’t right. Something stunk like rotten deviled eggs at a summer picnic.

  “I think you should go,” Darby muttered.

  Jennifer tilted her head to one side and grinned. For a moment, Darby thought she was going to protest, apologize, or maybe ask to stay. However, all she said was, “Okay.” She hopped up, packed up her camera and tripod, and disappeared so fast, Darby’s head nearly spun.

  Even when she was sitting alone in her living room, the fire in the pit of her stomach grew. This was bad. Really bad. She’d made a stupid, stupid
mistake by allowing that interview to happen. Though she hadn’t fully grasped what Jennifer had been up to, Darby knew she’d been up to something.

  “Oh, shit,” she muttered as she jumped to her feet and rushed out the door. She was in tears before she reached Jade’s house.

  Darby sat slouched on Jade’s firm sofa while Taylor paced before her. As soon as she’d walked into Jade’s and rambled about what had happened, Jade had gone into her small but practical kitchen to fix them a pot of tea. Apparently in between heating water and stuffing the infuser with something call oolong, Jade had texted Taylor, who barged in minutes later looking like she was ready for a fight. Then again, Taylor almost always looked like she was ready for a fight. She rarely let her defenses down.

  Rather than drink the tea Jade had poured for her, Darby dabbed her nose with a tissue and told them how Jennifer Williams had tricked her. Maybe. She thought, after it was all over, that she’d been tricked. However, she didn’t really know. Either way, the interview left her feeling queasy, and she was certain she’d made a bigger mess of things.

  “I think she was trying to get me to say things that made me look bad,” Darby said.

  Jade held up her hands as Taylor made another pass across the small living room. “Can you stop before you wear a hole in my rug?” she asked softly.

  Taylor froze in her tracks and then spun and faced them. The anger on her face was almost enough to make Darby cringe. She had an evil eye that rarely went challenged. Her dark hair, sharp features, and dark eyes gave her a raven-like appearance that worked in her favor when she was trying to scare people off. She’d tried using it on Jade and Darby early in their friendship, but she’d underestimated how much her new friends needed her cynicism to balance them out.

  However, in that moment, Darby felt the harsh stare all the way down to her bones. She understood Taylor wasn’t angry at her; even so, she cringed. Taylor was definitely the protector of the group. There were plenty of times when people made fun of Darby for her outlandish appearance, only to snap their mouths shut and dart off after one hard, brutish stare from Taylor.